35 Teeny Tiny Tips To Boost Your Energy And Reduce Fatigue

Energy equals excitement, fun, and youth. Think of the energetic gal who is the life of the party, the neighbor who puts so much energy into her yard that it looks like something out of a magazine, or your “energizer bunny” nephew. Energy is what drives life and helps make life worth living. But at one time or another, everyone feels fatigued. And who wouldn’t like to have more energy than they now have?

The broad prescription from doctors to reduce fatigue symptoms is still the same: Get plenty of rest, eat a balanced diet, and exercise (try these 4 energy-boosting workouts; they'll give you more energy no matter how tired you are now). But here authorities on fatigue go beyond these generalities and offer more specific, high-octane suggestions. So, ladies and gentlemen, start your engines and get ready to discover how to reduce your fatigue and boost your energy.

Fatigue can be a side effect of dieting or of regularly skipping meals, says Nita Parikh, MD. If you habitually run out of your house in the morning without taking a single bite, “you may have to learn to eat breakfast every day,” she says. Even cereal (a complex carbohydrate) with milk (a source of protein) can get your day off to a good start. Wheat toast and muffins are also good complex-carbohydrate options. For protein, you may want to consider low-fat yogurt or scrambled egg whites.

Guard against eating an ultra-high-carbohydrate breakfast laden with simple sugars. This can create a surge in insulin and a corresponding drop in blood sugar, leading to a jittery crash. So avoid the doughnut shop between home and the office. (Try these 12 healthy breakfast options that'll give you all-day energy.)

If chronic fatigue has become a serious issue and you’ve ruled out any health conditions, you may need to assess your life and consider making some changes to boost your energy, says Parikh. “If you are doing the impossible and it is draining you, you need to come to grips with that and be open to changing.” It could be that second job you have—you might want to look at quitting or at least cutting back your hours. Or if you are the caregiver for both your children and your parents, you might need to get some help around the house. Try to think of these changes as positive—getting the help you need to do a better job—rather than throwing in the towel.

“Exercise actually gives you energy,” Young says. Study after study supports these words, including one by NASA. More than 200 federal employees were placed on a moderate, regular exercise program. The results: 90% said they had never felt better. Almost half said they felt less stress, and almost one-third reported that they slept better. Young recommends giving yourself a dose of energetic exercise—brisk walking is enough—three to five times a week for 20 to 30 minutes each time, and no later than 2 hours before bedtime. (Try one of these walking workouts to boost energy—and burn fat.) Even if you just have 10 minutes, you can still workout and see results with Prevention's Fit in 10: Slim and Strong for Life.

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Be careful not to overdue.

For all the good that exercise can do, it can be addictive. And you can overdose if you’re not honest about what your body is telling you. “I have to work at telling myself that it will be good for me, that I will gain by taking time off,” says endurance athlete Mary Trafton.

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Do the worst first.

Many times, people feel fatigued because they think, “I have so much to do, and I don’t know where to start.” By setting priorities and charting your progress as you make your way through the list, you can remain focused and energetic.

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Take one a day.

If you're guilty of missing meals, dieting, and not eating properly, Young says, taking one multivitamin-mineral supplement a day is a good idea. (Here are the 100 best supplements for women.)

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Teach your body to tell time.

Circadian rhythms act as our bodies’ internal clocks, raising and lowering blood pressure and body temperature at different times throughout the day. This chemical action causes the “swings” we experience—from feeling alert to feeling physically and mentally foggy. So why are some people’s natural peak times so inconvenient—like late at night? “I think sometimes people, perhaps without even knowing it, work themselves into a particular time cycle,” says exercise physiologist William Fink. Fink suggests changing your schedule as much as practically possible to complement your circadian rhythms. Start by getting up a little earlier or a little later—say, 15 minutes—until you feel comfortable. Keep it up until you reach your desired schedule.

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Stop smoking, once and for all.

Doctors always advise giving up smoking, but add this to the list of reasons: Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen available in your body. The result is fatigue. When you first quit, however, don’t expect an immediate energy boost. Nicotine acts as a stimulant, and withdrawal may cause some temporary tiredness.

As in pounds. “If you’re obese—if you need to drop 20% of your weight or more—losing weight will be a great help,” Fink says. Of course, make sure you follow a sensible diet in combination with exercise. Losing more than 2 pounds a week isn’t healthy and will wear you down. (Here are 50 ideas for how to lose weight when you have a lot to lose.)

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Get fewer zzz'z.

You can get too much of a good thing, even sleep. “If you oversleep, you tend to be groggy all day,” Fink says. “Usually, 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night is enough for most people.” (Here's how much sleep you need based on your age.)

Naps aren’t for everybody, but they might help recharge older people who aren’t sleeping as soundly as they used to. Younger people with very hectic schedules and short nights also might consider taking naps. If you do decide to take naps, try taking them at the same time each day and for no more than an hour.

Alcohol is a depressant and will slow you down more, not rev you up. If you seem to be drinking more in response to life stresses, cut back—or cut it out completely, says Parikh. (This is your body on alcohol.)

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Eat a light lunch.

Some doctors advise a light lunch to avoid a severe case of the postlunch I-want-to-crawl-under-my-desk-and-take-a-nap blues. If you’re too tired too often, this advice is worth trying. Soup and salad and a piece of fruit make a light but nutritious meal.

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Make lunch your big meal of the day.

If a light lunch doesn’t satisfy you, Young suggests eating your largest meal of the day at lunch and following it up with a 20-minute walk. Eating most of your calories early in the day gives you the fuel you need to keep perking. But you have to be selective in the type of fuel you choose. Carbohydrate, for example, is a fast burner. Fat, on the other hand, burns slowly, so it'll slow you down.

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Divert your energy.

Strong emotion is mentally draining, but it can be physically draining, too, says Young. Redirect strong emotions, such as anger, and apply that energy to your job or a workout.

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Soothe your stress.

A 25-year study by the Swedish medical university the Karolinska Institute showed that persistent anxiety can raise the risk for a medical condition called chronic fatigue syndrome. The research suggests that, over time, steady stress may wear down the body’s resistance to fatigue. To alleviate an existing problem and prevent fatigue from getting out of hand, practice stress-reducing techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, meditation, and guided imagery. CDs and DVDs of these practices can be found at bookstores and online. (Look out for these 10 silent signals you're way too stressed.)

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Try some music thearapy.

When it’s time to vacuum the house or tackle a pile of mind-numbing bills, crank up some energizing tunes. The best part of this fatigue fixer: You get to customize to your heart’s content. Listen to Frank Sinatra one day, Led Zeppelin the next.

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Give yourself a target.

Some people simply need deadlines to keep moving forward. If that sounds like you, give yourself both short and long deadlines—so neither becomes too routine.

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Make a splash.

When fatigue starts to drop one New York stockbroker, he doesn’t buy or sell. He stops—long enough to hit himself in the face with splashes of cold water. But if he were home, a cold shower might restore his energy even better. Cascading water emits negative ions in the air. Negative ions are thought to make some people feel happier and more energetic.

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Drink up.

Dehydration can cause fatigue. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day, even more when you’re active. The day before a busy day out in the hot sun—say, a day at Disney World with your kids—doctors advise drinking plenty of water and continuing to do so the day of the activity. E. Drummond King, an over-50 triathlete, learned the hard way that it’s best to start drinking a lot of fluids the day before his body is going to need them. “The major problem is dehydration and the fatigue that comes with it,” he says. “Now I spend the day before a competition walking around with a water bottle in my hand.” (Here's 9 weird things that happen to your body when you're dehydrated.)

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Rethink your medications.

Do you really need to take all those prescription and over-the-counter medicines? If not, you may be shocked at what eliminating or reducing dosages of certain medications may do for you. Sleeping pills, for example, are notorious for their next-day hangover effects. But also among the villains, according to doctors, are high blood pressure medicines and cough and cold medicines. If you suspect a medication is guilty of grand theft energy, discuss it with your doctor. Maybe you can get a new prescription or, better yet, quit the medicine altogether. But never stop taking a prescription medication without your doctor’s approval.

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Counteract side effects with CoQ10.

If you must take certain medications, check to see if they have energy-sapping side effects—then do something about them, says Chris D. Meletis, ND. Statins and beta-blockers for lowering cholesterol can deplete the body of coenzyme Q10. With your doctor’s okay, try supplementing with 30 to 60 milligrams of CoQ10 daily and see if your energy rises.

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If it feels good, do it.

There's no denying the pleasures of massages, whirlpools, and steam baths. "It's hard to study scientifically whether or not they lessen fatigue," says Fink. "But there are those who swear by them. I'm convinced, too—if people feel better, they'll perform better." (Need ideas? Here are 10 little ways to indulge yourself with zero guilt.)

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Trade coffee for tea.

Research shows that the combination of caffeine and the amino acid L-theanine, both found in regular black tea, can improve mental alertness and decrease fatigue. So the next time you need a caffeinated pick-me-up, try a cup of tea instead of that cappuccino. (One writer drank green tea for a month. Here's what happened.)

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